Safety device for mine-shafts.



Unirse sri-iras PATENT OFFICE.

JAMlBSYWlLSON, OF LI'VING'S'ION, ILLINOS.

SAFETY DEVICE .FOR MINE-SHAFTS. l

To all uhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WrLsoN, a citizen of the United States,residingr at Livingston, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in a Safety* Device forlMine-Shafts, oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety catch for holding mine cars adjacentthe mine shaft to prevent them running into the shaft when the cage isnot in position to receive them'7 and the object of my invention is toprovide a lsimple arrangement for securely holding the mine car, meansfor absorbing the shock caused by v the impact'of the car against saidholding means and my improved mechanism.` Fig. 3 is a plan view oi thesame, and Fig. 4 is 'a sectional view on the lino ol Fig. 3. i e' In thepractical embodiment v"of my invention I provide a stationary L-sliapcdplate'l bolted or otherwise fastened to a suitable support 2 arrangedbetween the rails on which are adapted` to run themine 4cars A.Pivotally mounted centrally of the plate 1 and arranged to swing in avertical plane is ai] operating. arm 3, which in its downward movementworks within the slots 4 of a socket 5 mounted between the railsand provided therein with a coil spring G connected to said operating arm 3 at7 and normally tending to force said arm upward.

Slidably mounted on the operating arm 3 is a U- shaped frame 8 arrangedthereon between the socket 5 and the end ofthe arm. l A'pair of locking-arms 9 are pivotally mounted on the ends of the extended bolts 10extending through the plate 1 on either side oi the arm 3 and lprovidedon their roar ends with a plate 1l. held thereon by means of the bolts12. Arranged about the Shanks oi thebolts 10 between the stationaryplate 1 and the bearing plate 11 are coil springs 13 tending to forcesaid bearing plato 11 rearward and away from the stationary plate 1.vThe locking arms 9 are rigidly connected at their forward ends in theextremities of the vertical arms 14 of the frame 8 and are provided withb'ent hook ends 15 adapted to engage the iront axle of amine car A. y

Speccation of LettersPatent.

Application filedV April 6,

Patented July 30, 1907.

1907. serrano. creativo;v

The operationot my device isas follows; the position shown in Fig. 1being takenas a startling point. The cage B on descending'iroin theposition shown in this figure to the position ready to receive the carA, ,will strike the forward end 16 of the operating arm 3, thus movingsaid arin downwardly on its pivot, within the socket 5, compressing thespring 6 therein and carrying the locking arms 9 downwardly therewith.'The hook ends 15 will thus be released from theaxlo cage B. AAs soonast-he cage B is again raised the spring G within the socket 5 willoperate to push upwardly against the operating arm 3 and will return thesame to the normal position ready to catch another car to prevent thesame running into the mine shaft.

It will be seen that in the construction there will imposed upon themechanism when catching a mine car heavily laden with coal. Toobviatethis strain I provide a sliding connection between the locking arms 9and the operating arm 3 in order that the said arms 3, when tbc minecaraxle is received against the hooks l5, by virtue of the slidablomounting of said arms 9 through the stationary plate 1 together with thesprings \10 and the movable bearing plate 11.

. Having thus described my invention I claim;

l 1. In n device of the character described the combination oi :istationary plate an operating arm pivotally connected thereto to swingin a vertical plane and adapted to be depressed by a vertically movingbody, a frame `slidnbly mounted on said operating arm, locking armsrigidly connected v:it their forward ends in the extensions of saidframe :1nd provided with hook ends adjacent' thereto adapted to engagethe axle-of :i car,v a shock absorbing dcvicc arranged at the rear endsof said locking arms, and means for returning said operating arrnto thenormal position after its depression, susbtnntinlly as described.

tion ofn stationary plate au operating arm pivotally connccicd theretoto swing in a vertical plane and adapted to be dein-esseri by avertically moving body, va U-sliaped I'rnxne slidably mounted on saidoperating arm, locking arms rigidly connected adjacent their forwardends in the extensions oi" said frame :md provided with hookendstidal-,led to' engage the axle of a car, a shock absorbing devicearranged at the rear ends of said locking arms. and a suitably mountedspring for returning said operating arm to' the normal position afterits depression, substantially as described. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WILSON.

Witnesses .losmn .TA sren, .Tessin A. LrviNGsroN.

of the mine car and will allow the car to run upon the,

be a considerable shock and consequently a great strain.

V9 may move longitudinally with relation to said arm' 2. ln n device ofthe character described, the combinavk

